Always Remember

Grand Army Plaza might be my favorite place in Brooklyn, which is another way of saying it might be my favorite place on earth.


First, I love the fact that it is the official gateway to my beloved Prospect Park, which is 565 acres of wonder, a gift that has never stopped giving.

Next, I love the name: Grand Army Plaza. What Grand Army is it referring too? Why just look at the inscription at the top of the monument, clearly written for all to remember: "Defenders of the Union 1861-1865" -The Union Army

I love to walk in between the arches where on side you have a sculpture of the one true indispensable American, President Lincoln, and the other side his handpicked General, Ulysses S. Grant. They are both on horseback. (I have read, but not been able to confirm that this is the only time Lincoln posed on horseback.)


I love to go between the arches and stand in awe of what these great men sacrificed and accomplished. This may sound corny to some, but when I leave the arches, I salute both President Lincoln and General Grant.

General Sherman, who served under General Grant's command, dedicated the first cornerstone for Grand Army Plaza in the late 1880's. President Cleveland presided over the unveiling in 1892.


A lot of times in America, we suffer from historical Alzheimer's. We forget our roots, our history. However, we should never ever forget the Union Army, and what it did for all of us.
So remember, the next time you are by Grand Army Plaza, try to see it for what it is: a moving tribute to great Americans who paid the ultimate price in saving the Union.